Harvey Weinstein lawsuit: attorney general says 'we have never seen anything as despicable'

Harvey Weinstein lawsuit: attorney general says 'we have never seen anything as despicable'

New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman said Monday that a pervasive pattern of sexual misconduct and corporate enabling at the Weinstein Company was some of the worst his office has investigated.

Anything - Schneiderman - Reporters - Day - Office

“We have never seen anything as despicable as what we’ve seen right here,” Schneiderman told reporters, a day after his office filed a 39-page complaint against the company, Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob. The suit is part of an effort to ensure adequate funds are put aside from the impending $500m sale of the company, and to ensure an end to the pattern of abuse.

“We have to ensure that this all cleaned up and that any deal that removes the two Weinstein brothers, but essentially leaves the rest of the management team intact, should be unacceptable to the purchasers,” Schneiderman said.

Complaint - Rights - Division - Pattern - Coercion

The complaint, bought by the civil rights division, alleges a pattern of systematic sexual coercion that involved company employees as both targets of sexual harassment or as complicit in it.

“It’s clear the company’s management was complicit in this pattern of misconduct,” Schneiderman said. “They knew what was happening. It was flagrant, it was flamboyant, they knew how pervasive it was and not only did they fail to stop it, they enabled it and covered it up.”

Lawsuit - Jeopardy - Sale - Company - Group

The lawsuit has thrown into jeopardy the pending sale of the company, to a group backed by investor Ron Burkle and fronted by Maria Contreras-Sweet, the former head of the Small Business Administration. It had been expected to agree to acquisition terms on Sunday.

Schniederman claimed the buyers were unwilling to meet with his office because of demands by the Weinstein company, and that they had failed to adequately provide for the victims. He also said there was no mention in the sale...